Patta Zakareshvili: “The goal is moving forward rather than raking over the ashes of the past”

Interview by Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza

The presidential elections took place in Abkhazia. According to preliminary data, the former vice-president and the republic's former prime minister, Raul Khadzhimbaz, won the elections in the first round. He headed the opposition during the May events in Sukhumi, when President Alexander Ankvab had to resign. Georgia has attentively followed the Abkhazian elections. Ahead of the vote, Premier Irakly Garibashvili made a suggestion “to start relations from scratch.” Vestnik Kavkaza asked the Minister for Peacemaking and Civic Equality Paata Zakareshvili to comment on the suggestion. He is thought to be a supporter of dialogue between Sukhumi and Tskhinvali.

-          Mr. Zakareishvili, the head of the Georgian government suggested to “start relations from scratch” with the leadership of Abkhazia. Does this mean that previous principled approaches will be rejected? The dialogue has been going on for 20 years.

-          I cannot say the dialogue has been going on for 20 years. There were “islands of dialogue.” There was no dialogue after 2008 at all, nor in the period from 1999 to 2003. So we had only 5-6 years of intensive dialogue. We had no opportunities to build long-term projects. I think dialogue from scratch is one of the opportunities to overcome the past and discuss the top issues which we have today.

-          So there is a principle of “who remembers the past…”

-          When an injured person is taken to hospital, doctors have to take care of him. They don’t ask him under what conditions he got into the accident, whether he was guilty or not. Other structures should do so, not just doctors. The same goes for conflicts. We should start from today. If the past prevents us from moving forward, we should leave it aside. The main goal is moving forward rather than raking over the ashes of the past.